Thanks for watching the video! If you want to learn more or need help, here are 3 options. 🔥FREE pdf download: The fundamentals of landscape lighting AND learn how you can make your lighting look professionally installed. course.aklighting.net/freepdfdownload ✅ Complete Start-to-Finish Course: Get affordable professional help so you can install your lights the right way. course.aklighting.net/diylandscapelightingstepbystepcourse 💻 Website: The One Stop for All DIY Landscape Lighting. diy.aklighting.net/homepage
Hey brother so i know you cant agree and say ya what im doing is fine n has your aproval simply bc its not what the trans is made for but i am into audio mostly car audio and im putting a semi large system in my garage that tech should be inside a car and i need a decent amount of power that wont make the breaker break on me on the lower bass since the amp eats up the most power on thoes notes any who i need DC OUTPUT I READ MY TRANSFORMER HAS A INPUT OF 120V 1.0A MAX AND THEN THE OUT PUT IS BROUGHT DOWN TO THE 12V 88WATTS MAX SO OBVI ITS AC IN BUT IS IT DC CURRENT GOING OUT. I KNOW 12V USUALLY IS A SAFE BET BUT IM NOT TRYING TO FRY MY AMP BY ANY MEANS FOR BEING A DIP SHIT LOL SO IF U CAN PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THE OUTPUT ON A INTERMATIC MALIBU TRANF MODEL ML88T HAS DC OUTPUT ID REALLY OWE U BUD THIS ONLY THING IN MY WAY FROM HAVEN MY DREAM SYSTEM WITH CAR SUBWOOFERS IN THE HOUSE N GARAGE LOL I Cant affored the real deal hi power AC TO DC POWER CONVERTERS THAT WILL HANDEL REAL POWER THANKS AGAIN
I bought a cheap $69.00 120 watt transformer with 12 lights from Lowe's about 8-10 year's ago and it still works till this day I guess I got lucky Thanks for posting videos
I have owned my house since 1987, never had a transformer go bad. Still using transformers that came with a Lowe's kit. I never had one that had multiple ports, that would be nice but would require me to change the wiring power line. I now have 4 transformers around my house (as I added new lights to area not covered before) that control a group of lights. 1 transformer still has the doorbell style light sensor. I like that one the best. @@aklighting8292
Interesting you scoff at big box store lights. I bought a set of 24 5 watt LED lights to line my pathway about 8 years ago for $200.00. And guess what they’re still working. So they’re not that bad. Now the Kichler lights I had issues with.
2:29 I love your videos and respect you immensely, but you should look into using wire ferrules since they upgrade the quality of your wiring significantly. Not only is it less safe to have a ton of exposed copper, but it's easier to connect and disconnect a wire ferrule; who doesn't like tidier! Thanks, -Adam
I think most people are unaware of their existence. Nowadays you can get a crimp tool and a bunch of ferrules for under $20. I am amazed that bif bix stores don't sell rhem. There is no excuse not to use one.
Use a multi meter to see . Measure your at your last light, if the voltage is lower than where you are wired to, move it up at the multi tap point of the transformer until you get the correct voltage you need. Dc voltage drops fast, long runs may require 15v and 10/2 wire
Some transformers do connect directly to line current. I have two of these that are then manually controlled by a wall switch on a dedicated circuit. I also have two transformers with programmable timers that plug into a receptacle.
I think of it like this... the comm is the common..or as i like to think of it as a communication wire becasue thats the one with with the words...aka a form of communication. The rough wire gets the other line. Makes it easy when keeping this in mind during the needed add ons to your line. Im pretty new to the industry so bear with me.
Good info in this video, thanks for taking the time! I used a Hadco transformer in my system. Have had it about 25 years now, no problems. I run 8 PAR36 lamps and they usually last about10-12 years. Have had zero issues with my transformer. Model #TS643-13. Hadco is a bit pricey but you get what you pay for!
And I hope no one uses Malibu! As a professional installer I see those being the number one failing transformers of them all. Great info in this video.
Thank you for all of your expertise. I took a plug outlet timer and plugged it into the outside wall outlet. After cutting the bottom prong off of the first extension cord I was able to plug it into the timer (it didn’t have a third bottom hole). then I just daisychained extension cords out into the lawn with 3-way splitters so I could run bright 100 hundred watt spotlights pointed up to each tree! It looks awesome at night time! I know my neighbors are jealous because they keep giving me dirty looks! they’re just pissed off that they paid thousands of dollars for theirs, where mine is brighter and better and I did it with stuff I had laying around the house! Thank you again my friend!
Hi, great tutorial - I need your help FINDING where is and how to find my transformer - I just moved into an old house and found there are 4 entryway lights (20w Holigan bulbs) with thick mesh strands cables attached - I noticed the Bi-Pin sockets were old and bulbs broken, so I replaced all sockets with 3W (20W equivalent) LEDS thinking that would solve the problem but it did not - After seeing your videos, I tried to locate the transformer and looked everywhere, but with no success... I do not have a wire tracer (too expensive) and hoping that you may know a way to find it, Thanks!
Adam, great video and instruction. Recently I discovered that my outdoor lighting stopped working. When I went to look at the transformer, I discovered that the wire going to my outlet had blowen out of the outlet and there seemed to suggest a surge took place. In fact, the ground portion of the plug remained in the outlet and separated from the plug itself. There were signs of a "blowout". My question is if I plug the cord back into the outlet to test the transformer without the grounding portion of the plug would the transformer work? I tested it and it doesn't seem to work so I was planning to by another transformer.
I really, really wish there was a RUclips video that explains how to dim LED landscape lighting. I hear about drivers, Triac dimmers, dimmer switches, etc. But nobody has a video that I can find that explains it in simple terms and step by step and sequential installation. Does the driver need to be the same wattage as the transformer? Does the driver substitute for the transformer? ugh. I am certain this is simple and straightforward, but who wants to guess? And google searches, Amazon searches and RUclips has yielded no results. So let's see something on that. I am in the mist of grinding into all of my walls installing some cap lights and after testing two, they are way too bright and I don't know whether to stop and go with something else or press on. Oh... I love your videos too!
Great videos! Question: I have a set of low voltage LED landscape lights that require 12V. I'm using 12/2 wire for 2 runs of 100 feet each. Can I use the 13V or 14V tap in the transformer though the lights are rated for 12V?
Hope you are still around! I have a transformer with three, 12V connections for three strings of outdoor lights. I use two. It has worked perfectly for five years. Suddenly, one string of lights does not work while the other works fine! Kept fiddling with it. No luck. Old transformer, I thought. Just bought a new one. Same problem! So, the usual recommendations for problems solving transformer issues have not worked. Thoughts anyone?
Use a multimeter to make sure you have power coming out of the transformer for all circuits. If you don't have a multimeter, you can try switching the two landscape lines to see if one of the transformer outputs is faulty or if the fault is actually in the output wiring. I had rodents chewing on the landscape wiring last year and cut the wire. I also had a line accidentally cut by an edger once. Assuming the transformer has good output circuits, start tracing the output line of the faulty circuit looking for a nick or break. If you find it, you can splice the line. If you never find the break, you might want to just replace the entire line, especially if it is old. Finally, you may want to first make sure you have the correct lamps in the circuit so you aren''t exceeding the wattage limit of the circuit. Also most transformers don't work correctly unless you put a load on it. One lamp is not usually enough. You may need at least 35 watts as a load.
On a 900ft tree line, looking to put 15 LED FLOODLIGHTS to to light up the trees from the ground facing up. And 1LED spot/flood to light up a sign on a upright tower. Any ideas?
Holy cow that sounds like you have a large property! Honestly its easiest for me to give recommendations if I can see it. If you could send some pictures to my IG or email or Facebook.
I would run 120AC to a satellite cedar post with an outdoor GFCI outlet and transformer on it 600' into that run, but that would require 10 gauge wire and deeper burial and cost a lot more in materials and labor. Curious if you got this resolved.
I'm so glad I found your channel. We are doing DIY and decided on going with Volt. I apologize if someone asked this already, but do any of the volt transformers allow for separate zones? So that one line can be on photocell and another on a timer? It didnt look like it on the website so just curious if you knew. Thanks.
Great question. That doesn't exist. The only thing that's similar to what you are talking about is buying the New Dauer Jarvis transformer. It's Wi-Fi based and has 3 zones that I believe you can set each on timers. We sell it on our website. If you want, feel free to reach out to use at diy@aklighting.net.
Hey quick question for you. If I use a high wattage transformer, like 600w or 900w does that mean that I will have less voltage drop through out a very long wire? Thanks
Hello there and thank you for sharing this video..... eye opener for me.. however i do have a question if i may: some how , some way can a dimmer be connected to a transformer? or vice versa? this client of mine complaint the the lights are too bright, and waas wondering if that could be possib;e thay have a hampton bay 60 w one thank you in advance :-)
Hi to you. I have a wire run that is nearly 325 feet from the outlet. The wire gauge is 12, with the closet LED light 75', and the furthest at 310'. My transformer is a 300 watt double tap with 12, 13, 14, 15v Best Pro. The lights wattage total 125 watts. Can connect all of the lights on one of the taps (12v), OR, must I add another transformer? Which would mean creating a different outlet 😢
Have a TDC 300 watt transformer . There power into the transformer but not out to the lights and the circuit breakers not popped. Any suggestions , I’m at my Witt’s end! This is only about 2 years old
McKinney maybe you can help me. My yard lights would not turn off or on according to the dusk dawn programming. I thought my D620 Intermatic Timer was malfunctioning and replaced with the same model. Now that one is malfunctioning in the same way. I have programmed it and reprogrammed it 5x's thinking I was programing it wrong. Now I an thinking the Transformer Model MTP300 Justin Inc might be the culprit. If anybody has run into this problem please let me know.
Random, been watching your videos - but can't seem to find the answer. I have 14.5V at a fixture; bulb is good, fixture is good. Voltage at fixture drops dramatically once a bulb (load) is placed on it. My guess is there's not enough current? Or high resistance else where on the line? All other lights on this transformer light just fine. Usually when I have an issue it's low voltage and I can trace it back to a poor connection / degraded splice. But this one is racking my brain since it shows 14.5V at the fixture. I even redid the splice, nothing. It's the last bulb in the line at this point I'm wondering if I should change the transformer.
Hi , been struggling with my landscape lights.They have worked for 3 years as a charm. But now none of them except 1of 10 are not turning on. When i turn the transformer ON in test mode once in a while they all turn on but then after that when i turn it to ON mode only 1 light turns ON. Even changed a brand new transformer, the issue still perisits so which means no issue with the transformer. Please advise what the issue could be Thanks in advance
I’m migrating from a 150W transformer to a Ring Smart Lighting Transformer in order to harmonize existing garden lights with the Ring security ecosystem. Since the Ring transformer has only one Common tap, one 12v tap and one 15v tap, and my existing lighting arrangement has 3 wire sets (3 zones on 12v, 13v and 14v) my question then is whether it's possible/safe to plug these existing 3 sets (6 wires) into the Ring Transformer according to just the Com, 12v and 15v. Maybe 2 wires on the 12v and one on the 15v. Thanks for your guidance and posting of your videos.
Great question! Yes you can add 2 zones to one tap. Depending on how big your property / how far the lights are, I'd suggest putting the two closest zones on the 12V tap and the farthest on the 15V tap.
I was about to tell you to check out my course, haha! I often see people in similar situations where they get ridiculously high quotes for lighting. But most often those people turn to cheap, low quality lights. That's why I decided to show people like you how to get the same professional quality lights professional use but get them at an affordable price. I also show you how to design and install your lighting the right way. Just today I added a few more design examples to the course. Here's a link to my course if you haven't already found it. www.aklighting.net/sales-page1596042601743 Best of luck with your lighting! Glad these RUclips videos have helped.
correction, "electrocution" is execution by the state using electricity, you can only be electrocuted if you are sentenced to death by a judge/jury. The word is a conjunction of electricity and execution.
Thanks! Approximate cost of 16 lights to pay a company is around $3,200. Your cost if you do it yourself can be around $1,000 - $1,500 depending on which lights you get.
Depends on the 16 lights brand, type & quality but most would do it for probably about $4000 and you could usually diy with equal fixtures for less than half if you felt confident to do so
I like the VOLT transformers. Make sure you get the ones that look like the transformers I use in my videos. Those last longer and are easier to work with.
@@aklighting8292 Turns out that the end of the wire was laying in the puddle of mud. I wiped it off and put tape on the ends covering the wires and it's working fine now.
I'd say anything around 10ft away from the transformer, and that's if you have have the wire on 15v. Now, not all bulbs have that issue. Great LED bulbs can handle that really well and sometime even prefer the higher voltage. Hope that helps!
My landscape light is not working. There is no problem with the power outlet looks like there is a problem with the transformer. can you please help to fix?
Zoning I’ll look into those thanks, I got 40’ of under railing led strip on my deck they are obnoxiously bright, how about in wall dimmer switches like dual slide dimmer to control 2 individual lights from one switch, cause these lights are not something I want all the time
a59f616d5f8d9df7bc523b1fe4f32774-uncropped_scaled_within_1536_1152.jpg_recent That is my son house. He would like to snow what type of light he need for iluminate hight point. What type light for low levels. ?
can a low voltage transformer go dead even after 5 months during freezing temperature? yesterday, we had heavy snow and temperature went below 0 degrees. today, I came home and the transformer was not on. would it come back on after it unfreezes?
Hey Ali, I also got hit by the storm too. I'm not sure, I believe your transformer will come back on when it warms up. If not, if it's a professional transformer, they will have a warranty on it.
@@j.t152 If I understood your question right. Yes you need to plug the transformer into a working outlet. Sometimes people need to get one installed on the side of their home because the only working outlet is right next to the door.
I thought landscape lighting systems were 12vdc! I designed and fully installed a photovoltaic system to run my outside lighting not knowing these were running on AC.. I had to get some harbor freight AC/DC ones because anything decent only seem to be AC 🤦♂️
@@mchipitt in my experience it will still work fine with dc power . I only use FXL products . Never ran into a integrated board or a bulb that won’t run off dc. You could do whatever you’d like in your yard. Works fine on dc unless your getting into specialty stuff like a Luxor system with ZDC boards or Luxor cubes.
If you want to give me specifics I’d be happy to try to test it out. Can’t speak on longevity for every brand but in my experience it hasn’t decreased bulb or board life . All the manufacturers mostly use ac transformers and the documentation is going to say use there transformers . Doesn’t mean dc won’t work or that dc will have any negative effect on the life of the fixture.
@@mchipitt for example the FX luminaire “ ST-UV “ step down transformer takes 120 to 233v ac power and steps it down to 12v DC. Designed for there RC fixture , but will work with any fixture.
@@miksUSA777 they won't bust on 15v, they just have their life reduced. So lets say its normally 8 years, you might lose 2-3 years off it. I'll try my best not to overcomplicate things. Well made bulbs are meant to handle 15v just as well as a 12v. A lot of normal bulbs don't have that. Also, with voltage drop, if you have lights far away and the wire on 15v. By the time the electricity makes it to the lights, that 15v really is about 12v because of the voltage drop. Hope that make sense.
@@aklighting8292 🤗😉😀 Thanks! Have been watchg all your videos. The Best! appreciate that you do really teach us than just selling to us. subscribed and Liked all of it.👍😀
You can either go with a Ring Transformer amzn.to/35SFHgI or put a smart plug in it. There is a much more expensive transformer option, but I'd suggest the first two options.
@@taffyden9718 You could do that, but I have never done it. I wouldn't know what to tell you. If you have a gutter that goes across the gutter, I would run it there. Second questions: The best way to run wire from the peak of the house is by putting the wire in the metal flap. I'll post a picture on my Instagram so you can see what i'm talking about.
I do landescape lighting for living in Florida i have 1200 transformer last 17 years and still goin now i used 300 transformer instead of 1200 and what kind fixure do you used
You can use the same fixtures, just use LED bulbs. If you want to know all the light fixtures and bulbs I recommend, I have them in the PDF I recommend that you can find in the description of any of my videos.
Thanks for watching the video! If you want to learn more or need help, here are 3 options.
🔥FREE pdf download: The fundamentals of landscape lighting AND learn how you can make your lighting look professionally installed. course.aklighting.net/freepdfdownload
✅ Complete Start-to-Finish Course: Get affordable professional help so you can install your lights the right way. course.aklighting.net/diylandscapelightingstepbystepcourse
💻 Website: The One Stop for All DIY Landscape Lighting. diy.aklighting.net/homepage
Hey brother so i know you cant agree and say ya what im doing is fine n has your aproval simply bc its not what the trans is made for but i am into audio mostly car audio and im putting a semi large system in my garage that tech should be inside a car and i need a decent amount of power that wont make the breaker break on me on the lower bass since the amp eats up the most power on thoes notes any who i need DC OUTPUT I READ MY TRANSFORMER HAS A INPUT OF 120V 1.0A MAX AND THEN THE OUT PUT IS BROUGHT DOWN TO THE 12V 88WATTS MAX SO OBVI ITS AC IN BUT IS IT DC CURRENT GOING OUT. I KNOW 12V USUALLY IS A SAFE BET BUT IM NOT TRYING TO FRY MY AMP BY ANY MEANS FOR BEING A DIP SHIT LOL SO IF U CAN PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THE OUTPUT ON A INTERMATIC MALIBU TRANF MODEL ML88T HAS DC OUTPUT ID REALLY OWE U BUD THIS ONLY THING IN MY WAY FROM HAVEN MY DREAM SYSTEM WITH CAR SUBWOOFERS IN THE HOUSE N GARAGE LOL I Cant affored the real deal hi power AC TO DC POWER CONVERTERS THAT WILL HANDEL REAL POWER THANKS AGAIN
😊😊
*Click and bait sh!t to get your name and email ID and then perhaps sell it to marketing companies.*
I bought a cheap $69.00 120 watt transformer with 12 lights from Lowe's about 8-10 year's ago and it still works till this day I guess I got lucky
Thanks for posting videos
That's awesome! Yeah, that's pretty unusual. Glad it has worked out for you!
I have owned my house since 1987, never had a transformer go bad. Still using transformers that came with a Lowe's kit. I never had one that had multiple ports, that would be nice but would require me to change the wiring power line. I now have 4 transformers around my house (as I added new lights to area not covered before) that control a group of lights. 1 transformer still has the doorbell style light sensor. I like that one the best. @@aklighting8292
Man you are helpful... I'm about to start my landscape lighting.
Interesting you scoff at big box store lights. I bought a set of 24 5 watt LED lights to line my pathway about 8 years ago for $200.00. And guess what they’re still working. So they’re not that bad. Now the Kichler lights I had issues with.
2:29 I love your videos and respect you immensely, but you should look into using wire ferrules since they upgrade the quality of your wiring significantly. Not only is it less safe to have a ton of exposed copper, but it's easier to connect and disconnect a wire ferrule; who doesn't like tidier!
Thanks,
-Adam
Fair especially for stranded wire it's a must.
I think most people are unaware of their existence. Nowadays you can get a crimp tool and a bunch of ferrules for under $20. I am amazed that bif bix stores don't sell rhem. There is no excuse not to use one.
Use a multi meter to see . Measure your at your last light, if the voltage is lower than where you are wired to, move it up at the multi tap point of the transformer until you get the correct voltage you need. Dc voltage drops fast, long runs may require 15v and 10/2 wire
Isn’t this current AC?
Some transformers do connect directly to line current. I have two of these that are then manually controlled by a wall switch on a dedicated circuit. I also have two transformers with programmable timers that plug into a receptacle.
🎶Transformers landscaping in disguise 🎶
I think of it like this... the comm is the common..or as i like to think of it as a communication wire becasue thats the one with with the words...aka a form of communication. The rough wire gets the other line. Makes it easy when keeping this in mind during the needed add ons to your line. Im pretty new to the industry so bear with me.
Good info in this video, thanks for taking the time! I used a Hadco transformer in my system. Have had it about 25 years now, no problems. I run 8 PAR36 lamps and they usually last about10-12 years. Have had zero issues with my transformer. Model #TS643-13. Hadco is a bit pricey but you get what you pay for!
Ironic but my house caught on fire and the Columbo that came out from the insurance company says it was the Malibu landscape lighting transformer.
Thanks for the video. Gave me some important insight as to what I need to do.
I am using a VOLT® Clamp-Connect 300 Watt (12v/15v) Multi-Tap Low Voltage Transformer
Only thing I would add is make sure you check local code, as most require the outdoor outlet to have a cover as well as a gfi receptacle 👌
Great tip!
And I hope no one uses Malibu! As a professional installer I see those being the number one failing transformers of them all. Great info in this video.
I agree with you!
Looking for a 100-120 watt transformer for my backyard.
What brands do you recommend?
Should I get one with astronomical timer?
Thanks!
That is the brand that caught my garage on fire.
Helpful, thank you.
Thank you for all of your expertise. I took a plug outlet timer and plugged it into the outside wall outlet. After cutting the bottom prong off of the first extension cord I was able to plug it into the timer (it didn’t have a third bottom hole). then I just daisychained extension cords out into the lawn with 3-way splitters so I could run bright 100 hundred watt spotlights pointed up to each tree! It looks awesome at night time! I know my neighbors are jealous because they keep giving me dirty looks! they’re just pissed off that they paid thousands of dollars for theirs, where mine is brighter and better and I did it with stuff I had laying around the house! Thank you again my friend!
I highly doubt your neighbors are jealous. Stop lying for the internet, just post your dumbass “I did it myself” comment and go, like everyone else.
Thank you.
Hi, great tutorial - I need your help FINDING where is and how to find my transformer - I just moved into an old house and found there are 4 entryway lights (20w Holigan bulbs) with thick mesh strands cables attached - I noticed the Bi-Pin sockets were old and bulbs broken, so I replaced all sockets with 3W (20W equivalent) LEDS thinking that would solve the problem but it did not - After seeing your videos, I tried to locate the transformer and looked everywhere, but with no success... I do not have a wire tracer (too expensive) and hoping that you may know a way to find it, Thanks!
Adam, great video and instruction. Recently I discovered that my outdoor lighting stopped working. When I went to look at the transformer, I discovered that the wire going to my outlet had blowen out of the outlet and there seemed to suggest a surge took place. In fact, the ground portion of the plug remained in the outlet and separated from the plug itself. There were signs of a "blowout". My question is if I plug the cord back into the outlet to test the transformer without the grounding portion of the plug would the transformer work? I tested it and it doesn't seem to work so I was planning to by another transformer.
Amazing video thank you
This great! Very helpful.
Thank You so very much..You have been a GREAT Help..
Thank you!
I really, really wish there was a RUclips video that explains how to dim LED landscape lighting. I hear about drivers, Triac dimmers, dimmer switches, etc. But nobody has a video that I can find that explains it in simple terms and step by step and sequential installation. Does the driver need to be the same wattage as the transformer? Does the driver substitute for the transformer? ugh. I am certain this is simple and straightforward, but who wants to guess? And google searches, Amazon searches and RUclips has yielded no results. So let's see something on that. I am in the mist of grinding into all of my walls installing some cap lights and after testing two, they are way too bright and I don't know whether to stop and go with something else or press on. Oh... I love your videos too!
I'm installing a dimmer switch today, I can keep you posted and can make a video on low-voltage 12v dimmers.
@@aklighting8292 Yes please! thank you.
@@bryanscott293 I filmed it. I'll post it on Tuesday.
@@aklighting8292 I look forward to it. In the meantime, can you advise what I need to buy so that I can have it when ready?
@@bryanscott293 Here's the video. Hopefully it helps and answers all your questions. ruclips.net/video/1baI2UMIG38/видео.html
The transformer needs to be plugged into a GFCI Outlet, not just any outlet like you said in this video.
Great videos! Question: I have a set of low voltage LED landscape lights that require 12V. I'm using 12/2 wire for 2 runs of 100 feet each. Can I use the 13V or 14V tap in the transformer though the lights are rated for 12V?
You just save me a ton load of money!
Glad I could help!
Hope you are still around! I have a transformer with three, 12V connections for three strings of outdoor lights. I use two. It has worked perfectly for five years. Suddenly, one string of lights does not work while the other works fine! Kept fiddling with it. No luck. Old transformer, I thought. Just bought a new one. Same problem! So, the usual recommendations for problems solving transformer issues have not worked. Thoughts anyone?
Use a multimeter to make sure you have power coming out of the transformer for all circuits. If you don't have a multimeter, you can try switching the two landscape lines to see if one of the transformer outputs is faulty or if the fault is actually in the output wiring. I had rodents chewing on the landscape wiring last year and cut the wire. I also had a line accidentally cut by an edger once. Assuming the transformer has good output circuits, start tracing the output line of the faulty circuit looking for a nick or break. If you find it, you can splice the line. If you never find the break, you might want to just replace the entire line, especially if it is old. Finally, you may want to first make sure you have the correct lamps in the circuit so you aren''t exceeding the wattage limit of the circuit. Also most transformers don't work correctly unless you put a load on it. One lamp is not usually enough. You may need at least 35 watts as a load.
On a 900ft tree line, looking to put 15 LED FLOODLIGHTS to to light up the trees from the ground facing up. And 1LED spot/flood to light up a sign on a upright tower. Any ideas?
Holy cow that sounds like you have a large property! Honestly its easiest for me to give recommendations if I can see it. If you could send some pictures to my IG or email or Facebook.
I would run 120AC to a satellite cedar post with an outdoor GFCI outlet and transformer on it 600' into that run, but that would require 10 gauge wire and deeper burial and cost a lot more in materials and labor. Curious if you got this resolved.
That far you'd have to use a higher # tap and bigger gauge wire like 8 also depending on wattage of the 16 lights
How do you figure out how big of a transformer to get for your lighting? We are going to have about 25 lights.
Great Stuff Adam! What constitutes "far away"? 3:08 mark Thanks.
Great video. I have old malibu transformer but I want to add led strip lights to it. How would I do that?
I'm so glad I found your channel. We are doing DIY and decided on going with Volt. I apologize if someone asked this already, but do any of the volt transformers allow for separate zones? So that one line can be on photocell and another on a timer? It didnt look like it on the website so just curious if you knew. Thanks.
Great question. That doesn't exist. The only thing that's similar to what you are talking about is buying the New Dauer Jarvis transformer. It's Wi-Fi based and has 3 zones that I believe you can set each on timers. We sell it on our website. If you want, feel free to reach out to use at diy@aklighting.net.
Hey quick question for you. If I use a high wattage transformer, like 600w or 900w does that mean that I will have less voltage drop through out a very long wire? Thanks
nope
Just means you can put a lot of LED's on it
Hello there and thank you for sharing this video..... eye opener for me.. however i do have a question if i may: some how , some way can a dimmer be connected to a transformer? or vice versa? this client of mine complaint the the lights are too bright, and waas wondering if that could be possib;e thay have a hampton bay 60 w one thank you in advance :-)
Hi to you.
I have a wire run that is nearly 325 feet from the outlet. The wire gauge is 12, with the closet LED light 75', and the furthest at 310'. My transformer is a 300 watt double tap with 12, 13, 14, 15v Best Pro. The lights wattage total 125 watts.
Can connect all of the lights on one of the taps (12v), OR, must I add another transformer? Which would mean creating a different outlet 😢
Are smart transformers good and what is a good brand to buy
Have a TDC 300 watt transformer . There power into the transformer but not out to the lights and the circuit breakers not popped. Any suggestions , I’m at my Witt’s end! This is only about 2 years old
McKinney maybe you can help me. My yard lights would not turn off or on according to the dusk dawn programming. I thought my D620 Intermatic Timer was malfunctioning and replaced with the same model. Now that one is malfunctioning in the same way. I have programmed it and reprogrammed it 5x's thinking I was programing it wrong. Now I an thinking the Transformer Model MTP300 Justin Inc might be the culprit. If anybody has run into this problem please let me know.
Great information. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Random, been watching your videos - but can't seem to find the answer. I have 14.5V at a fixture; bulb is good, fixture is good. Voltage at fixture drops dramatically once a bulb (load) is placed on it. My guess is there's not enough current? Or high resistance else where on the line? All other lights on this transformer light just fine. Usually when I have an issue it's low voltage and I can trace it back to a poor connection / degraded splice. But this one is racking my brain since it shows 14.5V at the fixture. I even redid the splice, nothing. It's the last bulb in the line at this point I'm wondering if I should change the transformer.
Why some prefer to run 120v and not the low voltage?
Thanks for making your videos! I just bought a new home and your videos have been amazing in figuring out my landscape lighting issues!!!
Great to hear!
What type of soffit Down lights do you recommend that will run off of a transformer instead of line voltage?
Hi , been struggling with my landscape lights.They have worked for 3 years as a charm. But now none of them except 1of 10 are not turning on. When i turn the transformer ON in test mode once in a while they all turn on but then after that when i turn it to ON mode only 1 light turns ON. Even changed a brand new transformer, the issue still perisits so which means no issue with the transformer.
Please advise what the issue could be
Thanks in advance
*I am planning to put 30 lights that are 12v each. What kinda transformer do I need?*
I’m migrating from a 150W transformer to a Ring Smart Lighting Transformer in order to harmonize existing garden lights with the Ring security ecosystem. Since the Ring transformer has only one Common tap, one 12v tap and one 15v tap, and my existing lighting arrangement has 3 wire sets (3 zones on 12v, 13v and 14v) my question then is whether it's possible/safe to plug these existing 3 sets (6 wires) into the Ring Transformer according to just the Com, 12v and 15v. Maybe 2 wires on the 12v and one on the 15v. Thanks for your guidance and posting of your videos.
Great question! Yes you can add 2 zones to one tap. Depending on how big your property / how far the lights are, I'd suggest putting the two closest zones on the 12V tap and the farthest on the 15V tap.
Consider getting a transformer made my fx and a smart plug made by ring of yours goes out
Ok, you talked me into buying the course! I'm ready to start. LOL
I was about to tell you to check out my course, haha! I often see people in similar situations where they get ridiculously high quotes for lighting. But most often those people turn to cheap, low quality lights. That's why I decided to show people like you how to get the same professional quality lights professional use but get them at an affordable price. I also show you how to design and install your lighting the right way. Just today I added a few more design examples to the course. Here's a link to my course if you haven't already found it. www.aklighting.net/sales-page1596042601743 Best of luck with your lighting! Glad these RUclips videos have helped.
Good information. I was trying to get to your website but got an error when clicking the links you provided.
Are you clicking the links in the description of my videos? They should all work. Let me know which ones and I'll fix them.
I looked and it gave me an error. I've now fixed it. Thank you for letting me know!
Nice Vid.👍
Thanks!
correction, "electrocution" is execution by the state using electricity, you can only be electrocuted if you are sentenced to death by a judge/jury. The word is a conjunction of electricity and execution.
Can you tell me the approximate cost of a 16 lights complete setup? Just asking ballpark range. Great video btw
Thanks!
Approximate cost of 16 lights to pay a company is around $3,200. Your cost if you do it yourself can be around $1,000 - $1,500 depending on which lights you get.
@@aklighting8292 Roger-that. Thank you.
Depends on the 16 lights brand, type & quality but most would do it for probably about $4000 and you could usually diy with equal fixtures for less than half if you felt confident to do so
Thinking about the VOLT Brand Transformer (150W) for my project. Would you recommend this unit?
I like the VOLT transformers. Make sure you get the ones that look like the transformers I use in my videos. Those last longer and are easier to work with.
I have the Patriot timer, all was working well now as soon as it turns on it turns off! Not sure what happened
It sounds like your transformer is overloaded in some way. I'm not familiar with the Patriot timer, but I would check the load.
@@aklighting8292 Turns out that the end of the wire was laying in the puddle of mud. I wiped it off and put tape on the ends covering the wires and it's working fine now.
What’s considered close? You said if the light is too close you can burn it our faster. 10’ , 100’ 300 ‘ ?
I'd say anything around 10ft away from the transformer, and that's if you have have the wire on 15v. Now, not all bulbs have that issue. Great LED bulbs can handle that really well and sometime even prefer the higher voltage. Hope that helps!
Which brand transformer do you recommend?
Volt lighting has a good transformer.
My landscape light is not working. There is no problem with the power outlet looks like there is a problem with the transformer. can you please help to fix?
Message me on IG, email, or FB. I'll see how I can help.
What’s out there on the market for transformers having the ability to control multiple scens
Are you talking about zoning or dimming? Regardless, there is a Vista Pro transformer and an FX transformer that can do those things.
Zoning I’ll look into those thanks, I got 40’ of under railing led strip on my deck they are obnoxiously bright, how about in wall dimmer switches like dual slide dimmer to control 2 individual lights from one switch, cause these lights are not something I want all the time
a59f616d5f8d9df7bc523b1fe4f32774-uncropped_scaled_within_1536_1152.jpg_recent That is my son house. He would like to snow what type of light he need for iluminate hight point. What type light for low levels. ?
experience
can a low voltage transformer go dead even after 5 months during freezing temperature? yesterday, we had heavy snow and temperature went below 0 degrees. today, I came home and the transformer was not on. would it come back on after it unfreezes?
Hey Ali, I also got hit by the storm too. I'm not sure, I believe your transformer will come back on when it warms up. If not, if it's a professional transformer, they will have a warranty on it.
Do you have power to the outlet
@@j.t152 If I understood your question right. Yes you need to plug the transformer into a working outlet. Sometimes people need to get one installed on the side of their home because the only working outlet is right next to the door.
How many years of experience are you?
I thought landscape lighting systems were 12vdc! I designed and fully installed a photovoltaic system to run my outside lighting not knowing these were running on AC.. I had to get some harbor freight AC/DC ones because anything decent only seem to be AC 🤦♂️
They’ll run on dc lol
@@bobufo5729 decent ones according to their spec sheets are AC only. They specifically say DC will NOT work.
@@mchipitt in my experience it will still work fine with dc power . I only use FXL products . Never ran into a integrated board or a bulb that won’t run off dc. You could do whatever you’d like in your yard. Works fine on dc unless your getting into specialty stuff like a Luxor system with ZDC boards or Luxor cubes.
If you want to give me specifics I’d be happy to try to test it out. Can’t speak on longevity for every brand but in my experience it hasn’t decreased bulb or board life . All the manufacturers mostly use ac transformers and the documentation is going to say use there transformers . Doesn’t mean dc won’t work or that dc will have any negative effect on the life of the fixture.
@@mchipitt for example the FX luminaire “ ST-UV “ step down transformer takes 120 to 233v ac power and steps it down to 12v DC. Designed for there RC fixture , but will work with any fixture.
can you connect a 12v light that is located 100 feet away to a 15v slot of a Transformer?.
Yes you can. 100ft away I would personally still put it on the 12v or 13v.
@@aklighting8292 oic. i thought a 12v bulb will get busted if i put it on 15v. wondering abt the 13v and 15v what is it used for.
@@miksUSA777 they won't bust on 15v, they just have their life reduced. So lets say its normally 8 years, you might lose 2-3 years off it.
I'll try my best not to overcomplicate things. Well made bulbs are meant to handle 15v just as well as a 12v. A lot of normal bulbs don't have that. Also, with voltage drop, if you have lights far away and the wire on 15v. By the time the electricity makes it to the lights, that 15v really is about 12v because of the voltage drop.
Hope that make sense.
@@aklighting8292 🤗😉😀 Thanks! Have been watchg all your videos. The Best! appreciate that you do really teach us than just selling to us. subscribed and Liked all of it.👍😀
@@miksUSA777 I really appreciate it! I've really enjoyed teaching about lighting. Let me know if you have any requests.
Are there any smart transformers that work with Google/Alexa, phone app, etc?
You can either go with a Ring Transformer amzn.to/35SFHgI or put a smart plug in it. There is a much more expensive transformer option, but I'd suggest the first two options.
@@aklighting8292 smart plug it is. 👍
@@EverydayKindaGuy Good choice. Smart plugs have been a very popular option lately.
It really doesn't matter what color wire is on neutral
True
How would you get across a driveway?
The easiest way to get across is by using the gaps either between the driveway and the house or the driveway and the sidewalk. Hope that helps!
AK Lighting you wouldn’t cut then patch ? Another question how do you run wires from Peaks on houses ? Much appreciation!!!
@@taffyden9718 You could do that, but I have never done it. I wouldn't know what to tell you. If you have a gutter that goes across the gutter, I would run it there. Second questions: The best way to run wire from the peak of the house is by putting the wire in the metal flap. I'll post a picture on my Instagram so you can see what i'm talking about.
AK Lighting thank you soo much. Just started getting into landscape lighting and love it! Wish the green industry had more ppl like you!! Thanks 🙏
Where can I find these transformers?
There are a lot of places to find transformers. Here's a list of places I recommend diycourse.aklighting.net/lightingrecommendations
I do landescape lighting for living in Florida i have 1200 transformer last 17 years and still goin now i used 300 transformer instead of 1200 and what kind fixure do you used
You can use the same fixtures, just use LED bulbs. If you want to know all the light fixtures and bulbs I recommend, I have them in the PDF I recommend that you can find in the description of any of my videos.
I remember having to use 900-1200 watt transformers a few years ago. Those transformers are so large and expensive!
@@aklighting8292 yes i knw they are expensive and huge.I use bronze cast fixure there are not cheap but they will last for ever.
@@aklighting8292 now we used LED bulb lot better don't need a huge transformer.
@@j.t152 I'd love to chat more off of youtube. I have instagram, facebook, or email.
Transformers.....more than meets the eye
Haha! True
People like me? Always give a thumbs down when they ask for thumbs up
If I ask for a thumbs down would you give a thumbs up?
Really? My husband's friend's house burned down on April 15th, 2022, from a faulty low voltage transformer.
electrocuted from 12v????
lol. No sir
Whats on your face dude. That's a big zit brother!!! If you want to watch a video of a big zit watch this
Lol you are one of the people who likes to pop zits probably.